August Underground
August Underground
NR | 01 January 2001 (USA)
August Underground Trailers

Imagine walking down the street and finding an unmarked VHS tape. Curiosity piqued, you take it home and pop it in. What starts off as two men screwing around with a video camera quickly transforms into an ultra-realistic torture sequence where the unidentified psychopaths tape their exploits as they torment and violate a woman tied to a chair.

Reviews
Phonearl Good start, but then it gets ruined
Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.
Nessieldwi Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.
Plustown A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.
Scott LeBrun The "story" in this annoying little movie consists of home movies shot by one of two serial killers. The camera follows them around as they indulge in all manner of disgusting deeds, whether they're putting human victims through pure hell or just raising trouble in general. (For example, they act out inside a convenience store.)Prefiguring the "torture porn" genre began by movies like "Saw" and "Hostel", "August Underground" works like a mash-up of "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" and "The Blair Witch Project", except that it *really* ups the ante in terms of extreme human depravity, and that it lacks any sort of craftsmanship whatsoever. It may be one of the most disgusting movies that this viewer has ever seen. Its fans may argue for its sense of immediacy, or the fact that it's so vivid and so committed to portraying filth on film. But it's still impossible to want to spend time with the characters here. Apparently, the movie *does* have some sort of script, by Allen Peters and director Fred Vogel, but it feels like it was ad libbed for its interminable 71 minute run time. The effects are plenty tacky, but still have the power to thoroughly distress an audience.If one really wants to see a serial killer epic based in some sort of reality, they're much better off watching or revisiting "Henry".Three out of 10.
blohmjob I've gotta say, I was caught off guard with the level of unexpected and graphically disturbing violence as well as the behaviour of the main characters throughout this film. I expected another Murder-Set-Pieces, which I'd found to be average in every sense other than the level of gory violence. Honestly, being a lifelong horror fan, this was exactly what I was looking for. I'm f***king sick of the cookie-cut creature/monster/slasher horror movies to have been released for the vast majority over the past 20 odd years. I wanted something that could actually freak me out; the killer next door who could be the most average unassuming type of person. I found the (few) moments through the film where the inner psychology of these characters is expressed, to be surreal. And not just killers, but disturbed and spontaneously aggressive who get off especially on torturing and mutilating their victims in horrible ways (which sometimes even make THEM sick to their stomachs). This is the kind of horror of which I had been hoping the future would bring... something that is dark, twisted, sickening and most frightening of all, possible. 6.5/10
SpannersGerm669 The biggest problem I have with the underground horror scene, is that they try way too hard to be provocative, to try and give the finger to the mainstream horror scene that is ruining my beloved genre. August Underground, as far as a the underground horror scene is concerned, is an important film, for the simple fact that it captured what true horror is all about. Something not to be enjoyed, something that doesn't come across as entertainment. Something to be horrified by and repulsed. Something that mainstream horror seems to miss, by glorifying horrific acts. August Underground captures all of the darkness in a very menacing fashion.The problem with the movie however, is the fact that it becomes repetitive and the lack of story fails to carry the movie from the first minute to the last. The true horror sense becomes stale before too long, which shows that you can splash all of the most horrific acts on screen, but without a solid platform, you can only take a film so far before it runs out of steam. Which unfortunately is what happens to August Underground.Extremely low budget film making is something to be admired. Making something from nothing is something I appreciate and will give credit for. However the lack of story failed to have my attention throughout the duration!
john-duffy21 Worst pile of BS ever put to celluloid but given the production value they probably skipped on that. I just spent 1 hour and 34 mins of my dire life watching the most diabolical crime against film (and I've watched some awful films in my time) I wanted to punch my own face until con caved having wasted my time on this utter pile of feaces. I actually hate myself for watching it, but not as much as I hate the financier, "actors", "directors" of this puke. Also I hope that everyone involved in this ends up parking cars and pumping gas bump bump bump do you know the way to St Jose.Utter, utter s**t don't bother